The Air Force hockey team isn’t going anywhere, but with the substantial recent conference realignment announcements, the Falcons of the Atlantic Hockey Association are bound to benefit from the change. In two years, look for Air Force’s schedule to include additional nonconference games against Front Range rivals DU and CC.

Air Force coach Frank Serratore said he spoke with DU coach George Gwozdecky and CC coach Scott Owens on Wednesday afternoon, after the official National Collegiate Hockey Conference announcement was made in Colorado Springs.

With the Pioneers and Tigers scheduled to join North Dakota, Minnesota-Duluth, Miami, Nebraska-Omaha and possibly Notre Dame in the new six- or seven-team NCHC, DU and CC will need to perhaps double their nonconference schedules when the NCHC debuts in 2013-14. Currently, DU and CC play 28 league games in the 12-team WCHA, and eight nonconference games. In two years, they will play just 20-24 league games and 12-16 nonconference games.

Air Force, instead of playing a two-game nonconference weekend against DU and CC, will likely play a home-and-home series against each team when the Pioneers and Tigers begin play in the NCHC. So in addition to the two DU-CC home-and-home series, a season on the Front Range will also include a DU-AFA home-and-home set and CC-AFA series in Colorado Springs and at the Academy.

The arrangement will help each program schedule nonconference games without haggling over gate guarantees.

Serratore said all three coaches like the idea of the triangular home-and-home series, and on Wednesday in Colorado Springs, Gwozdecky and CC athletic director Ken Ralph told me they would like to continue to play, and possible add a second game, with Air Force beginning in 2013-14.

“Our program is at a point where we can compete with those two teams on a weekend, not just one night, and a two-game series would be much more appealing to not only our fans, but our recruits as well,” Serratore said.

Meanwhile, the Falcons will remain in the AHA “if I have anything to do with it,” Serratore said. The Falcons have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in four of the past five years by winning the AHA tournament, and they will turn down overtures from the WCHA, CCHA and anyone else to remain proud AHA members.

“We’re winning championships, we’re going to NCAA tournaments, we’re filling our building,” Serratore said. “Going to the NCHC, the WCHA or CCHA will not make us more money or save us money or help us win any more games. So why would we want to change that formula?”

In addition, Serratore feels loyalty toward the AHA. “When we were clinging to life in the CHA (in 2005-06), Atlantic Hockey threw us a life jacket. It’s sad that we talk about loyalty last; everyone is looking out for themselves. But they threw us a life jacket when we were on the Titanic in the CHA. So that’s important, but in the end, there is no substitute for winning, and we’ve been doing that.”

In general, Serratore likes the idea of the NCHC and the new Big Ten hockey conference that will also debut in 2013.

“Some people are up in arms over this stuff, but I totally disagree. I think this is great for hockey,” Serratore said. “The biggest risk-takers are the six teams, or seven teams, whatever the NCHC ends up with. Those programs are used to winning. I’m not good in math, but there are six or seven teams, and they all ain’t going to win. Somebody is going to lose. And the way I see it, the restructuring means there are more leagues with like-schools, which is going to be healthier. Michigan Tech’s life just got a whole lot better. Same for Alaska-Anchorage and Bemidji State. Now, those schools are like us. They have a chance to play for a championship and make the NCAA Tournament. In other words, the have-nots won’t be buried like they were with the BCS teams.”

He added: “I disagree with the naysayers that say this is all bad for hockey. It’s just sticker shock. The programs most at risk are the ones that stepped forward and started this super league.”

Loyalty is not an apt analogy, geography and rivalries are what matter most. That generates sucess on and off ice. In the end, AFA will join their Front Range counterparts and join the new conference. Notre Dame, North Dakota, and Air Force Academy , are household name universities to rival the Big Ten and New England’s Hockey East. Plus DU, CC, Omaha, Duluth, Miami U. are great hockey programs. I think the new league should/will go with Bowling Green instead of Western Michigan. Bowling Green won the title in 1984 and Rob Blake and Brian Holzinger who won the Hobey Baker , played there. Their arena seats 5,000 and they are only a few hours drive from Notre Dame and Miami. I also see a school like Iowa State creating a D-1 program to rival Nebraska-Omaha. Welp, that’s how I see everything! Thanks.